Archive for January 21st, 2009
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Filling up your tank with diesel, super or regular gasoline is a lot cheaper today as the first drop in gasoline prices took effect at 12:01am, following yesterdays publication in La Gaceta.
Gasoline prices at all pumps in the country today are: ¢416 for a litre of super (down from yesterday’s ¢488); a litre of regular costs today ¢408, ¢66 less than yesterday; and diesel ¢427, down from ¢522.
However, don’t get too used to the lower prices, as the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep) is analyzing a request submitted by the state refinery, Recope, for an increase, which if approved would take effect by mid-February.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Visa Latin America is offering visitors to Costa Rica a chance to get a reimbursement on sales taxes paid in the country with purchases made with a VISA® or VISA Electrón® cards.
The rebate is equal to the tax paid on purchases in Costa Rica between 9 January 2009 and 22 February 2009.
Visitors leaving Costa Rica will be able to present their Visa vouchers at the Juan Santamaría airport and have a chance to win a rebate of the 13% sales tax on the purchase. Not eligible are ATM withdrawls, purchases made online and purchases were sales tax did not apply.
On presenting the vouchers at the airport, winners, who are chosen at random, will be notified immediately and will receive a Visa debit card with the amount of the tax paid in Costa Rica on their purchase.
The Visa module at the airport is only open between 9am and 7pm from Monday to Sunday.
For more information and details of the “tax free” promotion, visit: http://www.visalatam.com/taxfree/index.jsp and click on “BASES Y CONDICIONES” which opens a new browser window with all the rules and regulations of the promotion or call (506) 2287 8090.
The website and its content on the promotion is only available in Spanish. Clicking on the “English version” at the top of the page will not get you to the information.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Thirty multinational firms set up new offices in Costa Rica in 2008, bringing $428 million in investment, according to a report issued Monday by the Costa Rican Investment Board (CINDE).
That’s an 11 percent increase from money brought in by the 27 firms that opened up shop last year, although slightly more jobs were created in 2007 than in 2008: 6,352 to 6,291.
Over two-thirds, or 21, of the newly installed companies were in the service sector, and five in the medical devices sector.
New North American businesses in the service sector include: Amazon, Lux Red, SP Data, City Business Service, Digital Arbor, Critical Mass, Aniden Interactive, Project Resources Group CR, Resources, Astra Zeneca and Experian. The medical group St. Jude and medical manufacturers Astrolab, Firestone Industrial and Products also came to town.
According to Social Security System (the Caja) records, 6,000 jobs were lost between July and November 2008 alone, including 4,800 in the industrial sector and 1,200 in construction.
But it is unclear if new jobs those offered by the international companies will be filled by those who lost their jobs this year since, said CINDE Director Gabriela Llobet, many companies on the list of newcomers belong to industry subsectors and require highly specialized personnel.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
